‘Trainwreck’: Watch Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ Brutal 60 Minutes Interview

Sec. of Education Betsy DeVos struggles to answer fairly basic questions on school performance on 60 Minutes pic.twitter.com/lFVq3USwUW

— Axios (@axios) March 12, 2018

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos had an interview on 60 Minutes that aired Sunday night, and faced a brutal grilling from Lesley Stahl about the work her department does.

And stunningly, DeVos failed to answer basic questions about school performance, as CBS News’ Stahl — who called her “one of the most hated members of the Trump cabinet” — pressed her on taking funding away from public schools.

After Devos made an argument for “school choice,” pointing to Florida as a state where public schools have improved as a result, Stahl grilled her home state of Michigan.

“Have the public schools in Michigan gotten better?” Stahl asked.

“I don’t know. Overall, I can’t say overall that they have all gotten better,” DeVos replied.

“The whole state is not doing well,” Stahl shot back, before stating, “No, but your argument that if you take funds away that the schools will get better, is not working in Michigan where you had a huge impact and influence over the direction of the school system here.”

“Have you seen the really bad schools?” Stahl asked. “Maybe try to figure out what they’re doing?”

“I have not — I have not — I have not intentionally visited schools that are underperforming,” DeVos said.

“Maybe you should,” Stahl deadpanned, to which DeVos conceded, “Maybe I should. Yes.”

Watch a painful segment from the interview above, and the full episode here.

The brutal interview caught the attention of many on Twitter, who pointed out the alarming idea that the education secretary seemed to have a poor grasp of the work of her own department.

Just watched the whole @60Minutes piece on Betsy DeVos. Pretty rough. @LesleyRStahl seemed to know more about the nation’s public schools than the education secretary.

— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) March 12, 2018

This Betsy Devos 60 Mins clip is a total train wreck putting aside even the merits of her argument https://t.co/8DNkSIYkB7

— Sam Stein (@samstein) March 12, 2018

Betsy DeVos struggling hard on 60 Minutes pic.twitter.com/2iI52WR79u

— Bubba Atkinson (@BubbaAtkinson) March 11, 2018

MAGA people are rushing to defend Betsy DeVos, who was ambushed by unfair gotcha questions like “Have you ever been in a cafeteria” and “What do you think schools do”

— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) March 12, 2018

Betsy DeVos can’t answer questions about improving the educational system because her goal is to raze it to the ground. She’s a saboteur. https://t.co/V9Ebu3xe4M

— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) March 12, 2018

To bring tonight full circle: Trump has largely punted changes to gun laws to a commission, which will be chaired by Betsy DeVos (arguably the most polarizing Cabinet secretary), who struggled mightily to answer Lesley Stahl’s questions on education policy.

— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) March 12, 2018

I thought that Betsy DeVos interview was an episode of Drunk History but turns out she’s the Secretary of Education

— Clint Smith (@ClintSmithIII) March 12, 2018

I bet every once in a while Betsy DeVos googles what schools are. https://t.co/jK42oaOrSk

— Kashana (@kashanacauley) March 12, 2018

Stop what you’re doing & watch this astonishing level of ignorance from a cabinet secretary. As a Mom with four kids, I don’t want DeVos any place near their education. Or anyone else’s kids’ education for that matter. https://t.co/XFH8sxRxks

— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) March 12, 2018

This is disgraceful. DeVos doesn’t have a clue and she is making decisions that change the life chances of millions of schoolchildren across America. https://t.co/z8XE5S7lAy

— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) March 12, 2018

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos contradicts herself and struggles to answer basic questions about the nation’s schools during this 60 Minutes interview — to the point where Lesley Stahl is giving her advice on how to do her job. pic.twitter.com/gTV91W8p3z

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) March 12, 2018

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Aidan McLaughlin (@aidnmclaughlin) on Twitter

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